Critical Reflection

How do your products represent social groups or issues? 

My film product regarding the action of stalking represents the social issue of criminal harassment. This has been a drawback in our society for a while now and citizens are being pursued and attacked while living their normal lives. Our world should not have to deal with the worry that someone is secretly watching them. This film that my group and I created was to reveal the troubles that people have, especially women, with this environment of consistent mental and physical abuse. I wanted to portray this obsessive behavior of one girl, Rachel, towards another girl, Chloe, and the ability to defend oneself in this tough situation. Chloe, who is being stalked, represents the innocent woman who had no idea of this unwanted tailing. She began to connect the numerous signs of eyes on her or constantly seeing the same person in different locations and became increasingly aware and cautioned with her day-to-day life. With this, my group and I wanted to represent how it is for women, in these current times, of persistently watching their backs and being courteous of where they go. I want this to be a reminder or a lesson for girls who still don’t know the day and age that we live in and don’t understand the danger within society. Although, women may not want to disturb their daily lives with this constant reminder that they must be cautious with wherever they, it is still a safety issue that must be resolved. Until it is completely settled, women must take these steps in order to ensure their own security. 

How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of ‘branding’? 

The elements of my production, including the social media aspect and the film itself, work together to create a sense of ‘branding’ in a multitude of ways. To commence, the various platforms that my group and I have created online provide the sufficient amount of publicity that my film needs. We have YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts to advertise our short film with constant posting to gain the attention of the audience. These advertisements include inspirational quotes to get you through tough situations, dates with times for when the movie will be released, as well as pictures of parts of the film. My teammates and I did this to grasp the viewer’s concentration and significantly increase our followings. In addition to these platforms, we also created a website with everything you need to know about the film and facts related to it. For example, we designed a “Cast & Crew” section where the audience could get to know us more and make connections to the characters. Also, we have short summaries or sentences to get the viewer excited to watch the film. I recommended that the letters be in the color red to give the thriller effect and add a nice touch to the website. We made it aesthetically pleasing while still branding our film with the correct themes. Furthermore, the postcard that my team, collectively, created helped to announce the release dates and locations for our film. We included the usernames of our social media platforms and a barcode to scan in order to branch out our audience span as well. 

 

How do your products engage with the audience? 

My products engage with the audience in the sense that we exhibit a clear message in the film and keep them updated with announcements on our social media platforms. Specifically, the audience for this film are women and society, as a whole. Within the film, our broad theme is stalking and the problems that arise with it. I want this film to serve as a warning for girls to be aware of the situations they are put in, either by themselves or with a group of people that you don’t trust. If you have suspicions that someone is stalking you, take one step ahead and either contact the police or learn how to defend yourself. In the film, thankfully Chloe knew Judo moves, therefore she knew how to fight against an intruder. However, she may have taken it to the extremes by the end of it. Either way, my team and I wanted to show that there will always be danger, whether it be at the mall, supermarket, or even while taking a jog around the neighborhood. Moreover, another way we engaged the audience of society is by making it clear that this issue, stalking, is a real thing that occurs around the world daily. Another purpose of this film is to act as a display of this harassment in hopes of showing the people who run the country to make a change. Surely, the thriller film demonstrates an example of this type of assault, stalking, towards people. Overall, the film and social media platforms help to show more concern towards this difficult subject. 

How did your research inform your products and the way they use or challenge conventions? 

My research informed my products and assisted in the creation of the short film by allowing me to visualize what an actual thriller appears to be in full production. The first thing that I looked for was the title of various movies in the thriller genre. There were many examples, but it was hard to connect our plot to a title. It took some time and hard thinking, but, in the end, I figured out that the name “In Pursuit” will fit the atmosphere of the film best. I discovered that this name goes with the act of stalking without completely spoiling the storyline. “In Pursuit” suggests to the potential audience that there will be this excitement combusted with tense sensations of wonder. Furthermore, while researching other thriller movies, I investigated the standards that are usually seen in these types of films. We added the touch of mystery with the dark lighting that is normally seen, and the nail-biting feelings with the sounds my group and I chose to use in the film. We used these conventions in hopes of acquiring the attention of the viewer. The music that we looked for was royalty free in order to relieve the stress of being copyrighted. However, we didn’t just choose any sound. Instead, I looked for suspenseful notes that would create an uneasy tone to increase the audience’s heart rate. Surely, this additional component will pump the audience and get them to stand on their toes with jitters. My group also included flashbacks which are regularly seen in thriller films in order to comply with the conventions. I am positive that this will impress and delight the viewer who will want to continue watching this film, In Pursuit.